How much actual lift from BDS 3” ?
 

For those of you that installed the BDS 3” lift, please chime in and list your total increased height after all. Also what bumpers/winches/spare tire etc you have added weight.

I have read one review stating they were close to 4” total after all, with stock spare and bumpers.

Most kits are going to give you more then advertised on a stock jeep. BDS is not a popular kit for jeeps and to tell you the truth there are not many on this board with BDS and they are considered a low quality, poorly designed, incomplete kit priced to suck you into buying it then selling you more components after the install to make it ride better. Companies also change up kits over time and it would be good to include a link to what you are actually looking at.

I had a great response and discussion regarding this topic under another thread, however, I posted this in hopes to get the specific response. The idea is to determine whether the 2” mopar kit or 3” bds kit is higher.

I am aware of the component issues. However, I don’t recall anyone saying bds is low quality.

This is the kit I was looking at, but swapping the shocks to Bilstein 5100s
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.jk-...d0ccc0cd50.png
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.jk-...5cd655f314.png
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.jk-...82b6a07c48.png
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.jk-...88032fb205.png

So that kit is about half the kit you need. No caster adjustment, no track bar adjustment. BDS is a made in China cheap lift that caters to bro trucks and gets little love from the jeep community.You are basically buying their coils and some junk hardware. I would bet the bump stops are too long as well for 35's as most of the cheaper companies just add as much bump stop as lift which is not the best way to size them.
Its your jeep and your money if you are set on that kit, buy it and live with what it is. I gave you recommendations in your other thread and stand by them. The Mopar kit you are asking about is alright and on the budget side of lifts. I would not recommend it but Redroll likes to push it as it is the kit he has.AS for me I build custom suspensions and set things up the way they should be to do what the owner wants out of the system. It is a system as well as so many parts interact with others and when you change one thing it will likely lead to another. If you are on limited budget then just keep the jeep the way it is instead of throwing good money at bad products.

BTW who was it that told you BDS was a good lift for a jeep?

He mentioned in the other discussion that he had a BDS lift on his pickup truck and he was happy with it. I suggested that if he liked BDS that he was likely better off looking at the JKS version for the JK since it's the better lift in regards to hardware compared to the BDS as you pointed out but made by the same company.

I also suggested the Mopar 2in lift to look into since it was in a similar price range as the BDS he was comfortable with where I feel based on my experience with it, it's a good value lift mostly based off of the quality of shocks, springs, and rear track bar relocation bracket and includes bump stops as well and the fact that he was looking to fit 35s. Aside from myself on this forum, the only one I know who has experience with the Mopar 2in lift is Jadmt who added the Mopar 2in lift springs to his rig and seems to be pleased over his previous RK springs....I know, not saying much there.;) The Mopar 2in kit is a good base starting point kit which can benefit from some additional component upgrades to it, such as caster correction, track bars, and steering upgrades. Nothing wrong with the springs, shocks, and rear relocation bracket of the Mopar kit, especially if your main goal is a daily driver, weekend warrior rig....definitely not a rock crawler or over-landing recommendation. Metal Cloak is of course great as well, but was well outside the budget area he was considering. My suggestion for the Mopar kit is that it can be purchased in the $750-$800 range, add some Rancho Geo brackets to it for caster correction and then as budget allows, items such as a front track bar, and steering upgrades for the larger tires could be added later and he would get some good experience in the mean-time of getting a feel of what not having those components are like and feel the difference when/if they were added later.

Not on this forum but there's many of us running the Mopar 2in lift and have had great experience with it. Nice "shiny" Fox 2.0 performance series shocks. ;) Springs that haven't sagged or rusted over time, can handle some extra weight and it has good on road ride quality. The older Mopar 2.5in kits that were made by TF had some spring sag problems, but their more recent 2in kit have been completely re-designed in house and seems to be a winner, especially when you start taking prices into consideration.

I'm not a total Mopar fan boy but their 2in lift and their BBK I'll stand behind as including good quality parts and are very competitively priced with some of the higher end aftermarket alternative options.

I'll also add that I have a buddy at work who seemed to be a TF fanboy and had a higher end TF 3.5in lift on his JKU with 37s. He recently purchased a JLU, no recommendations from me but decided to go with the Mopar 2in lift for his JLU this time around, added some SteerSmart steering upgrades and recently came back from a Moab run and was describing to me and seemed almost ashamed to admit that he decided to go with the Mopar 2in lift for his JLU and how he felt the Mopar lift had exceeded his expectations on ride quality and performance while doing Moab, especially in comparison to his previous much higher priced TF kit on his JKU. I had to mention to him, "you realize I have the Mopar 2in lift on my JKU right?". ;)

Yes, I read the other thread and he stated he was told BDS was a top kit.

I am glad you are happy with your kit. I still would not recommend it. Where do yo find the 2" kit for the $750-800 range? I see it for $1099 https://www.quadratec.com/products/16170_1022_07.htm With the Metal Cloak at $1359 that comes with a front adjustable track bar, a heavier rear track bar bracket, stackable adjustable bump stop pads, relocation brackets, and brake lines. That is way more value getting those components for $260 and you get a dual rate coil and longer travel shocks then you are getting with the Mopar kit. Comparing apple to apple I don't see the value or performance of the 2" Mopar kit as the Metal Cloak will give you a better ride and is not as expensive as people say.
Teraflex is junk IMO and the Mopar kit is likely an upgrade over their shit.

Well, Q-Tech aren't really known for having the best list prices but have been known to price match.

https://www.moparamerica.com/?p=cata...h_str=77070089

What I found out when I was shopping around for mine, is that many of the dealerships have an over the counter price and have also set up websites where you can order online where the price is often 30-40% off the over the counter price That Mopar America link I posted is one such example. It's actually a dealership. The dealerships have also been selling the Mopar kit on Amazon and Ebay as well, so much better prices there also. Some have actually gotten the Mopar 2in kit with the additional front 1310 Dana drive shaft and brake line extension brackets on Amazon in the $800-$900 price range. So definitely great deals can be found online. The dealerships have been doing this in an effort to better compete with online prices...but the guy who still goes into the dealership and orders parts over the counter will never see those discounted prices.

I was fortunate when I got mine, that one such of those dealerships who run the separate discount only site ended up being in my area. I had to do some homework in matching addresses up since their discount parts website and dealership websites are not the same, but I ordered the Mopar kit online, then selected local pickup and went into the dealership and picked it up over the counter.

Here's my receipt, showing what I paid for the Mopar 2in lift. Left me plenty of budget left over to add in separate caster correction, brake line extensions, and front HD adjustable trackbar.
https://drive.google.com/uc?id=0B9VL...lpWalg1TGlTOGc

Another story, but that $0.00 included purchase on the receipt is the AEV, Mopar rebranded front skid plate. :D

Shoot!!! I wonder if I could get it in Oregon cheaper without the taxes 😬

I thought BDS was made in the states. Thanks for the help again.

Doing a quick Google search on "Discount Mopar parts in Oregon". That's how I started. If something is located in that area, then it will show in the search results, then the website will typically have an address listed in their contact section. You then do a search on that address, and then you find the matching dealership address offering the online discount pricing and you would pick it up from the dealership to save on any shipping costs. That's the search path I used to find a discount online pricing Mopar dealership in my area. Order it online, pay online pricing, pickup locally to save on shipping costs.

Here's some searching I tried for you. These are all dealership online websites run by their Mopar parts department. You'll notice a common template webpage theme about them. ;)

Oregon $880
https://www.makeitmoparparts.com/acc..._77070089.html

Here's the lowest I've found so far....Kansas dealership. $775
https://www.moparpartsforyourride.co...IFJlc3VsdHM%3D

unsure of location: $775
https://www.factorypartsking.com/oem...IFJlc3VsdHM%3D

It also may be worth contacting this seller on Ebay. They have the 2 door version listed for $800, free shipping, no tax. They're likely a dealership, and are likely drop shipping from a Mopar distribution center. I'ld contact them and ask if they can get P/N: 77070089 for you which is the 4 door version of the same kit. Just different rear shocks and springs.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/2007-2011-J...gAAOSwjuBZm0CL

Doing a more Apples to Apples comparison, this is the MetalCloak Rocksport kit with the same shiny Fox shocks. $1700. It's definitely a nice lift. Adds a front TB, brake line hoses, upper control arms for caster correction, and brake line extension brackets for an additional $900 over the Mopar kit. Definitely a good quality kit.
https://metalcloak.com/jeep-jk-wrang...x-edition.html

Unsure I'm able to see the strength increase in the MC rear TB relocation bracket. Both look like they're designed to also be used on their 3.5 and 4in lifts, so likely strong enough for heavier 37in tires and be able to handle 35s without a problem.
https://drive.google.com/uc?id=1psSN...eP3RLECor30UKq

https://drive.google.com/uc?id=1kgyA...C1LfYr2iurJj_3

The Metalcloak runs down and braces on the rear lower control arm mount as well. Shiny parts aren't how kits should be bought. I have the Metalcloak, pieced together through the years and members, which has allowed me to spend the extra cash on steering upgrades.

I really wasn't trying to piece things together by shiny parts. Dirtman mentioned you need to do an Apples to Apples comparison when comparing the value of 2 kits and I believe we all agree with that point. So if MetalCloak makes a kit which includes the same shocks as the Mopar kit and costs $400 more than their same kit without those same shocks, then it only seems logical which kits we should be looking at when it comes to comparing their values. I know you fellas are smarter than that and I'm just attempting to provide poesdad with factual information on the points being made and reduce any biases. I know I can purchase a pretty nice track bar, upper control arms or other means of caster correction such as the Rancho geo brackets which will provide a smoother ride and add some brake line extension brackets for well under $900 or I can put that additional cash savings in my pocket or put it towards steering or other upgrades as you mention.

I'm also unsure about the benefit of running the bracket brace to the rear lower control arm mount. It looks like that may add an unwanted point of potential damage to the bracket and/or control arm mounting bracket by putting the bracket support on the bottom side of the axle where there's more potential concern of clearance related damage. The Mopar bracket seems to put the bracket support around the axle tube with more support on the top side of the axle tube instead, thus more support overall and more of the bracket out of harms way. To the eye test the Mopar bracket looks a bit stronger to me as well but I think it's all a mute point since they both should work fine for 35s and raising that rear track bar up like it should be.

I also don't believe the throw away Fox shock are any better then the Rocksport that are specked for that lift. All you are doing is paying for the Fox name and shiny shock body. Apples to apples is referring to components in the kit not the brand of any specific part.
I know you need to justify your purchase to everyone but being it is the only lift you have had, that kit is really is not a good recommendation vs others out there.

That all very well could be true but we all know that brand names on shocks do bring perceived increased value. Thus, the reason the OP has been looking at kits but adding Bilstein 5100s to it and thus the reason MC is charging $400 more for the kit with the Fox shocks over their Rocksport shocks. Fox is a well respected and valued brand name. Afterall, isn't that exactly what you're doing when you recommend MetalCloak, you're adding extra perceived value based on experience and perceived name brand value but now when it comes to the shocks the same doesn't apply? I'm sure Costco's in house Kirkland branded tennis shoes are great and they may even be better quality than the Nike tennis shoes sitting next to them. Nobody is going to pay the same price for the Kirkland shoes as the Nike's so I'm really not agreeing with your Apples to Apples scenario in those regards.

Onto more productive things. I know you know a ton more than me on these things and have much more experience. Let's focus on comparing those rear track bar bracket designs. Let's take price out of the equation. If I was in the market strictly shopping for a rear track bar bracket and I had the choice between the MC or the Mopar which would you choose and why? I love me some MetalCloak but when I look at both of those rear track bar bracket designs with a critical eye, I really think the Mopar bracket looks like the better overall design. Yes, I'm asking you to try and set your name brand biases aside and compare the Kirkland (Mopar) to the Nike (MetalCloak) and critique each of their designs while attempting to ignore the brand names just as you requested with the shocks.

And afterall, you did mention the MC came with a heavier track bar bracket which I'm just not seeing.
When I look at them, the Mopar looks heavier to me and I'm thinking you may have just been not as familiar with the Mopar when you made that statement.

MC, Teraflex, and Clayton offroad all have a very similar rear track bar mount, I know the MC one isent "adjustable as they make an adjustable track bar and i know the teraflex is adjustable. Im not to certain about the mopar version as no one local runs their lift and have never seen it in person.

The MC bracket looks like it has two axle side track bar mounting holes. I'm assuming since they offer a 2.5 and 3.5 lift which uses the same bracket, each of those holes are used depending on if you get the 2.5in or 3.5in lift. Is that what you're referring to in regards to adjustable bracket? The bottom hole is for their 2.5in lift TB mounting and the top hole is for the 3.5in lift. I haven't looked at their install instructions but that's what makes sense to me for the purposes of the 2 mounting holes I'm seeing on the MC bracket.

The Mopar bracket does the same where the bottom hole is for their 2in lift TB mounting and the top is for their 4in lift TB mounting.
https://drive.google.com/uc?id=1XuQP...FZ-_ZicLcCeNUX

Metalcloak bracket is not adjustable, it's one height fits all. The top hole is tapered and the bottom isn't.

Almost looks like the designs are flipped, from the picture you provided. where does that other flat part connect to that going off to the right?

It seems to sandwich the axle tube so you have a bottom and top tab of the bracket on the axle tube preventing rotation from both sides of the axle tube. I was looking at the MC bracket some more and one of the benefits seems to be that there are 3 attachment points holding it more secure to the axle, but when I look at the Mopar bracket its design seems to have 3 attachment points as well if you take into consideration the bottom tab and top tab to each be an attachment point but a benefit could be that you then don't have the attachment to the control bar bracket which could get damaged by rocks.
https://drive.google.com/uc?id=1F6_P...EKVmBes-IlcodJ

Is there a functional purpose of the bottom hole?:thinking:

:rotflmao2:

LOL! You're bad. :clap:

Reinforcement versus just a flat piece of plate? I'm not sure, I'm no engineer, I just turn the wrenches and wheels.

does anyone have any measurements for the original question?

You have gotten good, sound advice in every one of your threads. You are not going to find the answer which you seek. Even if you want to remove from the equation that every single jeep is going to be different, none of us regulars have that lift, and almost no casual visitor has that lift. Everyone that has chimed in on any of your threads is going to be more than willing to help you along with any issues that may arise, but at some point you're going to have to pick one and install it and go from there. Given you already have a rig to offroad and this is a pavement ride, I'd still maintain to stick with a 2.5" lift, correct caster and move on with some decent shocks. If you are dead set on some certain look with height, better open the wallet up and do it right. Plan on properly backspaced wheels, new suspension items, new front DS, and plans to address some steering upgrades along the way. :thumbsup:

From the two choices I would pick the metalcloak as it is heavier duty being 1/4" with extra reinforcement vs the Mopar which looks like the factory size steel of 16 or 14 gauge. but personally I would not do either of them and buy a weld on raised track bar bracket with multiple mounting holes.

And as to the fox shocks costing more in the MC kit, it is because MC buys the fox shocks vs having their own branded shock. I also suspect the Rocksport shocks are the same as the OME long travel shocks (which are very nice riding shocks) just rebranded and painted red. Both the front and rear have at least 11" of travel where as the fox shocks are 10.6" on the front and 11.45" on the rear giving more available travel over all. What kind of travel do the Mopar Fox shocks have? The lower shock relocation mounts are a nice touch on the metal cloak kit that gives more body to frame clearance that the longer travel shocks need.

I honestly don't know the measurements of the Mopar Fox shocks. I've seen a post by Fox stating they're the same lengths as their aftermarket offerings with the only difference being the internal valving. The only problem with that is "which" Fox shock aftermarket offering? I also know others who have run the AEV 2.5in DualSport XT lift and have switched to the Mopar 2in lift who have stated the Mopar Fox shocks length extension were longer than the AEV Bilstein 5100s. So I don't have any exact numbers and I haven't measured them. I did a lot of apples to apples kit comparisons around that time when I was looking at lifts and identified which ones provided the items which were most important to me for my planned uses. I think you may have noticed, that I'm really not an impulse buyer. I probably do more research and asking questions than anyone on this forum, too much to a fault in many instances...I'm ok with that. :D I enjoy doing the research and learning along the way, much like your signature states, if you learned something new today then you've had a good day.

My list of items in a lift went like this.
1. Could accommodate 35in tires without going over 3.5in in total lift height.
2. Good on road ride quality
3. Reliability/quality (wouldn't easily rust, springs not known to sag over time, wasn't known to cause problems/interference with stock parts, sh*t didn't break within 2 years). Elliminated RK, TF and Synergy from the large list here.
4. Could accommodate extra mod weight added over time (bumpers, winch, tire carrier, minor armor) while not riding like sh*t prior to that added weight.
5. Budget Price: To make the kit "complete" (Geo correction, Track bars, brake line extension,etc) Total cost <$1500
6. Would meet my planned offroad uses (Forest/fire trails, hunting, fishing, camping, sand hills, snow trails).

So something like shock length extension and what that brings to the table, were really more in the nice to have category for my uses, and I therefore didn't do a ton of research on it and didn't have a need to measure it to find out. What I can say is that for my uses, shock length has never been a problem for me. I've never crawled onto anything which has raised a tire off the ground while having my front sway bar disconnected. I know my current weaknesses of my rig for my uses which are more along the lines of needing axle re-gearing and traction devices, definitely not shock length, that's more of a nice to have. Stronger axles are currently in the nice to have category until I break something that says otherwise.

I started off with a larger list of lift candidates and then narrowed it by doing a deeper dive apples to apples comparison. Doing as much research as I could find on each lift, posted by others. Making sure I understood what parts were included in each kit and more importantly understanding what their use was and why they were needed. This was my narrowed down list.
- AEV 2.5in DualSport XT
- OME 2in
- MC Rocksport XT 2.5in
- Mopar 2in

Of those 4, the Mopar 2in lift ended up being the better value and fit within my budget while at the same time it checked off all my other boxes. I was kind of surprised since OEM aftermarket offerings always tended to be on the higher side of price offerings. I did a ton of research reading other's experience with the lift prior to purchase. Below is one of those discussions: It's a 125 page discussion dedicated to the Mopar 2in lift, now approaching 5000 posts. I've read everyone one of them. I don't think you'll find a discussion on the net which has more information in it dedicated to a specific lift. It definitely doesn't exist on this forum or Pirate4x4. I shared that post with posedad since I don't want him to just take my words as truths and I don't want to deter him away from other options. I prefer he get the words of other's experience with it, rather than just one person which can often be biased and opinionated. Pretty much what I did when I looked into lifts. There are many folks who have provided their experience with the Mopar lift both on use, ride comfort, installation, customer service, and suggested added components to make it more complete such as caster correction options, and track bars.

https://www.wranglerforum.com/f274/m...ks-972321.html

While your take away may seem like I've been justifying my purchase decision and always pushing the Mopar lift. My real motivation is more along the lines of sharing my personal experience with the lift, and other's experience with the same lift which has been overall positive, as well as sharing the extensive research I've done on it. If it was junk, I would be the 1st to say so and share that as well, no one from Mopar pays me just like neither does MC or any others. So while I know I don't have quite the experience as someone like yourself with different lifts, brands, etc. I do feel pretty confident that I do have more experience and insight with that particular lift and knowing its strengths and weaknesses than someone like yourself which also includes sharing my experience on its value when comparing it to other similar lift options.

We can agree to disagree on the value of the MC vs the Mopar. I have nothing against the MC lift, it was in my top 4 of options. Yes, the Mopar having FOX shocks included with it, did have some added value for me over the MC lift when I was comparing it to their non Fox shock Rocksport offerings. The other items it included, aside from the front TB didn't bring any additional value to me and actually took away some value. Such as it included front sway bar links, where I knew I would be better off purchasing separate front sway bar disconnect links so why purchase items in a kit I knew I would be throwing away? The only part I knew ahead of time on the Mopar lift I wouldn't be using were the included Cam bolts for caster correction. $5-$10 item, so no big deal there. Upper adjustable control arms for caster correction in the MC kit? Those are definitely nice arms and are a pricey item as well. When I did my homework I learned adjustable lower control arms or geo correction brackets were likely a better option for someone with my experience and what I was after. So the included MC upper adjustable control arms took away from some of its value for me. If they included lower adjustable control arms at that same price, then I would have likely added value to it but it seems to keep that MC price attractive where they decided to provide adjustable uppers instead which made them fall into the "nice to have" category for me personally. Shock relocation brackets? Haven't needed them and doubt I will at this lift height. Stackable bump stops? Nah...I got some old hockey pucks laying around if that was really needed. Brake line hoses and extensions? Not needed in the rear and a cheap add if determined later. Front hoses? I purchased the Mopar BBK prior which came with extended OEM quality hoses instead and added the Mopar brake line extensions included in their 2012+ kit to those hoses. Yeah, I went with the non shiny object option instead on the hoses and went with the shiny option on the shocks. Those hoses would be throw away items for me personally since they likely wouldn't have connected to the larger calipers of the BBK. So no value added to me personally for those brake line items, but maybe to someone else.

Rear bracket steel thickness? I can measure the Mopar bracket simple enough and will post later. It doesn't look like the standard stuff to me. Maybe someone with the MC bracket can do the same. That's the fun part of these discussions, when we're unsure and it falls into the debate are of discussion, we can always share and find out for sure to remove the question marks.

Peace! :thumbsup:

P.S. Did I mention my distaste for the MC gold? I know they say it's that color for the rust inhibitor they use but did it really have to be gold? Nothing says you're more urban and trying to draw attention to yourself more than putting shiny gold parts on your ride. They should have included the dental gold bridge in the kit. ;) I would have rattle canned the sh*t out those parts if I had decided to go with it instead. :D

I haven't run across any posts discussing actual lift height of the BDS.

Below is a nice install write-up for a 3in BDS lift. Maybe contact them through FB or some other means to see if they took those measurements. Then if they do provide, keep in mind they have the AEV front bumper, skid plate, and winch mounted which will lower the front height at least 1/2in. That's where a lot of grey area comes into play for lift heights, in trying to understanding if they installed the lift at stock weight or if they had additional mods installed such as heavy steel bumpers, rock rails, under body armor, etc.

https://www.jeepfan.com/projects/bds...er-jk-rubicon/

Is there a reason you're putting so much value in lift height comparison difference?

For me personally, I just wanted to make sure the lift fit 35in tires and didn't crush my stock fenders in the process. Anything over and above that was actually a reason to look elsewhere for me personally. The higher you go, the more you raise your center of gravity. And to me personally, I always see those Jeeps climbing hills and doing end over rolls in the process.....and I want to avoid being "that guy" as much as possible. If you're more interested in the higher "look" aspect I'm really unsure how much a 1/2in one way or the other is going to make a noticeable difference. You could always easily add a 1/2in spring spacer or look into a body lift addition.